About Washington University Weight Management Program

Weight management, as you know, is a lifelong commitment. By viewing this web site you are taking a very positive first step in learning more about this worthwhile goal.

Washington University physicians offer two approaches to significant weight loss - nonsurgical guided nutrition based program, described on this page, and the surgical (bariatric) approach.

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, PHONE 314-286-2080.

The Weight Management Center team

Beth Henk, Program ManagerDenise Wilfley, PhD, Program DirectorSamuel Klein, MD, Medical DirectorRick Stein, PhD, Behavioral Director
Dr. Samuel Klein, MD, Professor of Medicine and Nutritional Science at Washington University, serves as Director and Founder of the Washington University Weight Management Program. He is an internationally known authority on weight and nutrition.

Our medical weight management Program staff will guide and encourage you in learning how to make lifelong changes in eating behavior, food choices, and activity levels. By integrating this knowledge into your daily lifestyle we can help you to attain your desired goal and pursue successful long-term weight management.

Our staff comprises physicians, psychologists, registered dietitians and physical therapists. They are leaders in their field and collectively represent the area's leading experts in all areas of managing obesity, providing a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary treatment approach.

The Weight Management Program offers a free information session that allows interested persons a complete overview of the treatment. Additional screenings and assessments are conducted once an individual decides to become part of this personalized approach to weight loss. Please phone 314-286-2080 for the location of the next free seminar.

They are usually held at 4570 Children's Place, in the Washington University Medical Center, but it is best to phone first to verify.

How the program works

To successfully maintain weight each change must be gradually and permanently integrated into a person's lifestyle. Many people who lose weight tend to regain it over time. For this reason the ability to sustain that loss is just as important as the initial weight loss. Staff members teach the skills necessary to help maintain weight loss and achieve realistic goals. Even moderate long-term decreases in body weight, 5 to 10 percent of initial body weight, can result in considerable health benefits.

If you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² and above, or 25 kg/m² and above with medical complications such as heart disease or diabetes, then this program is designed to help you.

The typical person who enrolls in this program usually fits into one or more of the following categories:

Over age 18,

Long history of unsuccessful dieting,

Has a medical problem caused by obesity, and/or

Needs structured treatment program to lose weight.

The Washington University Weight Management Program, in affiliation with Barnes-Jewish Hospital, is the most comprehensive program in the metropolitan St. Louis area that offers medical and surgical specialists collaborating to treat those suffering from obesity.

It is our philosophy that patients need to be fully informed of the risks and benefits of both the surgical and medical treatments for obesity to make informed decisions. Patients referred to the Program are thoroughly evaluated to ensure that the most appropriate weight management approach is selected for them.